


lost and found

by Liana_Angel



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Not Captain America: The Winter Soldier Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 21:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11113095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liana_Angel/pseuds/Liana_Angel
Summary: Natasha and Steve learn about Hydra without knowing about the Winter Soldier, except that he exists. This changes how they first meet him.





	lost and found

**Author's Note:**

> In this version of the Winter Soldier, Shield has fallen without Hydra having to use the Winter Soldier as much as they did in the movies. Steve and Natasha are attacking Hydra bases. They know the Winter Soldier exists, but he never attacked them like in the movie.

Another decrepit building, another Hydra base. Steve and Natasha easily work their way through the agents guarding the building. Natasha points out that this is a little suspicious, you’d think Hydra would have put better agents on guard duty. Especially this base, where Fury’s intel says the Winter Soldier is being kept. But they keep going deeper into the base.

The fight (not battle, it’s too small to be a battle) to the center of the base, to the asset, is short. Too short.

“Anything on where he is?” Steve asks through the comm, walking down the empty corridor.

Before Natasha can answer, another voice cuts through from behind a door. “Soldier, report.”

Rumlow. They knew he was in Hydra, but they didn’t know how deep in he was.

“Report,” he says, firmer this time. Natasha silently opens the door slightly, and Steve comes next to her to peer in. The Winter Soldier is there, back to them, and facing Rumlow.

Rumlow pulls out a red book, opens it, and then…

…and then it happens too fast.

The Winter Soldier’s arm - his metal arm - shoots out, crashing Rumlow’s head against the wall, and Rumlow drops. The other agents in the room glance at each other stunned, before raising their guns and pointing them at the solider. There’s three of them, and it’s not enough, everyone can see that.

The soldier punches one, takes his gun and points it at one of the two others before either of them can move. Steve and Natasha rush in, Steve with his shield and Natasha with her guns. The agents’ eyes widen, and they raise their guns, but the shield comes up to block the bullets.

And then the Winter Soldier turns. And Steve knows that face. He’s drawn that face over and over again.

He’s kissed those lips.

“Bucky?”

The Soldier - Bucky - stares at him for a moment. “…Bucky?” He echoes back.

“You.” Steve tells him as Natasha quickly looked around for other agents. “You’re Bucky. James Buchanan Barns.”

“Steve,” Natasha says firmly, jutting her chin out at a camera - hidden, but Natasha is good. “We need to go. Now.”

Bucky - the Winter Solider, Steve reminds himself, because the man in front of him isn’t the same one he grew up with - walks through Steve and Natasha, making his way towards the door.

“Bucky, wait!” Steve runs after him, unwilling to loose him again.  
Bucky stops, freezes, and turns towards Steve again. “You’re - I’m-” he says, stumbling over words. “You’re - I remember you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m Steve. Your -” he glanced at Natasha quickly. “Friend. I’m your friend.” A lie. They were more than friends, much more, but deep-seated internalized homophobia and survival instincts kept him from saying it in front of Natasha.

Bucky frowned, fingers brushing one of his guns as he stared at Steve. "You're... Steve."

Steve let out a shuddering breath. "You do remember me."

Natasha looks between the two men, then towards the door. "More agents will come soon. Let's go, bring him," she gestures at Bucky.

Steve nods, and as they leave the building, he turns to Bucky once more. "I thought you were dead.  How-?"

In response, Bucky simply says "Hydra."

"We're gonna tear them down," Steve says firmly.

Bucky nods, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Make them wish they never met us."


End file.
